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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Wow, National Greasy Foods Day, that ranks right up there with Chocolate Covered Insects Day, what I mean is do we really need a national day to honor these foods? I guess to each his own.

I think, today we should have a conversation about where you have had your best burger, okay, and if you, want add the fries. Yes, I know not all burgers are greasy, but for some reason when you say "greasy foods" or even "greasy spoon", burgers come to mind. I think most diners have the best burgers on the planet. Something about frying a wad of ground beef on a flattop griddle just makes my mouth start to water. Add the fried onions, well, actually caramelized onions, a slab of cheddar or American cheese, toasted bun, oh, and don't forget the bacon!Hands down my favorite was at the Mid-Island Diner on Hempstead Turnpike in Bethpage, NY. They would wrap it, "To Go", in waxed paper, and even the paper would be slippery. I probably ate more of those babies than I should have, but not at one time, just one at a time, but I do recall a period of time that I frequented that place almost daily. Unfortunately, my cholesterol does not allow me to indulge in such greasy fare any longer. And even more unfortunately, there is no way to duplicate that flavor in a cholesterol-free, or fat-free version. Sorry, just not possible. You see, in the grease, in the beef fat, that's where the flavor is. Its the cooking of the fat, the grease, that determines just how tasty a burger will be. So, yes you can try to substitute ground chicken or turkey, without the skin, but sorry, there is just no comparison. It doesn't even come close. I found some recipes for "turkey burgers" and they add egg whites, bread crumbs, chopped onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Sounds healthy, but that is not a burger, sorry, that's closer to meatloaf. You have to add all those fillers to give it taste, then the instructions tell you to cook it in a skillet over medium-high heat, without adding anything to keep it from sticking? I am not one who uses non-stick cookware, something about those finishes that doesn't sit right with me. Besides, any non-stick cooking I have seen ends us sticking if you don't use something to grease the pan, defeating the purpose of the non-stick pan anyway.